How I Stay Productive: Matthew Brown

Next up in our ‘How I Stay Productive’ series, we’ve got one of our own Productivity Ninjas, Matthew Brown. In his interview, Matthew doesn’t just inspire us to Stress Less but he also gives us a nice insight into his daily routines, which, spoiler alert, does include a daily nap.

Occupation: Productivity Ninja

Company: Think Productive

Location: London and thereabouts

Other job titles in life: Flaneur, Percussionist

What’s important about your workspace?

I work from home most of the time, so that offers some challenges. First of all, I need to be a loooong way from the fridge, for obvious reasons. Second, I need to be able to peer through the window at the guinea pigs – Patch, The Scruffmeister and Gerald – as they go about their business in their run in the garden. They usually glare back at me reproachfully, and this provides a spur to stop looking out of the window and Actually Do Some Work.

Which ninja characteristic have you got nailed the most?

Lethargy. It took me a while, but I think I’ve nailed it now. For the longest time, I thought my workplace was my PC and my work was bashing away at it. It was only when I became a Productivity Ninja five years ago that I realized that very little of actual value and impact happens at the PC. It happens when you’re thinking, strategizing, having brilliant ideas, etc. When was the last time anyone had a brilliant idea while looking at their PC?.. Hmmm?…

So I ensure that I have scheduled intervals of Lethargy over the course of the day. The first one happens shortly after lunch when I have a post-postprandial nap. Ten minutes is enough to recharge the little grey cells. Returning to work, post-nap, feels like a new day.

The second interval of lethargy occurs at 6pm. Working from home requires strong boundaries. We don’t want the work-y stuff leaking into the home-y stuff, do we? So I ensure a clear demarcation by removing myself to the Two Brewers for a contemplative pint of Sixpenny Handley Best Bitter and a bag of nuts. I don’t really commune much with my fellow imbibers. I muse. Sometimes I ponder. Or stew – on the cruelties of the world, the remedies that may be available and our role in bringing these remedies to fruition. Then I go home for the home-y stuff, having pondered, processed and locked away the day.

Which ninja characteristic are you still working on the most?

Preparedness. Small confession: whilst my personal productivity is excellent, my personal preparedness is non-existent. I don’t really prepare for anything. I leave all sorts of important stuff to the last minute. Always. And I tell myself that this is because I am an artiste, and to behave otherwise would be to betray my gift. I know this is a lie.

Which five apps could you not live without?

Well, I could live without all of them; they’re just technology. But I find the following useful:

The Spectator for iPad – Same as 1 above really, and the writing is outstanding. It’s worth the price of entry for the Low Life and High Life columns alone.

Ted Talks – As part of my morning routine I watch a Ted Talk a day. Always good.

Pocket Informant – A fabulous combined Calendar and Task Management app. I have used it as my “second brain” for years, and it just gets better and better.

Yelp – I often find myself in a strange town for work reasons and it’s a great way to locate decent grub or pub.

What’s your favorite piece of stationery?

I have had a steel-barreled Montblanc fountain pen for twenty years. It is immaculately crafted, writes like a dream and always elicits admiration when produced. Also – and this is not a detail – it makes you slow down as you write, and take care.

When in the day do you have the most proactive attention?

Morning. I schedule all my mental heavy-lifting for the morning. I know I’m effectively brain dead in the afternoon, so I just aim to do admin-y type stuff after lunch. Work stops at 5:59pm. No exceptions.

What’s your trick for when you’re tired or struggling with attention in the day?

Well, I’m rarely tired during the day but I do sometimes struggle to get down to work. That’s usually because there’s something in my head that I’m not addressing. So I pause the work, address the un-addressed thing, decide what’s to be done, stick that in my second brain, then get back to work.

What’s your best advice for reducing stress?

Well, I don’t think people should be stressed by work. I can’t remember who said it, but “if you don’t like the way your life is, change it; you’re not a tree”. So, if you hate your job, screw it, get a new one.

What’s your email regime?

I don’t spend too much time on email. I have unsubscribed from pretty much everything – newsletters, LinkedIn and all that nonsense. I also find that the more email you send, the more you get, so I tend to call clients, rather than email. In answer to your question, then, I process down to zero (twenty minutes) at 09:00, 12:00 and 17:00. I don’t look at email before work, after work or at weekends.

What’s your favorite way to take a break in the middle of the day?

Well, a nap is always good. Alternatively, I will go to my shed and potter for a bit. I have also recently been focusing on absorbing activities. Drawing. Laying floorboards. Ironing. Tinkering with motorcycles. Making jam. Etc.

What’s the secret to your productivity?

I don’t know really. Maybe the idea that work is just not important enough to get stressed about; what matters is what happens when you’re not working. This perspective enables me, I hope, to do the bare minimum amount of work consistent with a satisfying lifestyle.

Got any more questions for Matthew? Leave them in the comments section below. Want Matthew to come in and help your team? Check out our Workshops and get in touch.